Blame
Florida’s Department of Health reports 170 fatalities and almost 20,000 new cases in a single day. That’s the second day in a row setting a record for new cases.
Also, on today’s Sunrise:
— Ron DeSantis held news conferences in Bradenton and Vero Beach Thursday to talk about COVID vaccinations and never mentioned the rising number of casualties … but he did confirm the state is investigating reports that a posh nursing home in Palm Beach County gave vaccines to rich people who don’t live there but made big donations to the company that owns the home.
— In the aftermath of the failed coup by Donald Trump supporters, DeSantis is calling for swift action against the people who stormed The Capitol in D.C.
— One person DeSantis did not blame for inciting the riot was the President. And he takes no responsibility for his role as Trump’s top enabler in the Sunshine State who encouraged challenges to Joe Biden’s election.
— Instead of distancing himself from Trump, DeSantis is using the violence in Washington to justify his idea to slap new limits and penalties on protesters … which was his response to the Black Lives Matter movement over the summer.
— Florida Man also made an appearance at the coup. A resident of Manatee County was identified as the protesters who was photographed walking through The Capitol after stealing a lectern adorned with the official seal of the House Speaker.
— Today on Sunrise in-depth, you’ll hear from some women who serve in the legislature who are horrified by a new Department of Justice report about the treatment of inmates at Lowell Correctional Institution, the state’s largest prison for women.
— And finally, an Illinois resident became an honorary Florida Man after mailing a dead rat to his ex-wife in Tampa.